Erika
,
14

There are very few things 14-year-old Erika enjoys more than watching basketball games and rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There are very few things 14-year-old Erika enjoys more than watching basketball games and rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers. Being diagnosed with chronic recurrent pancreatitus had forced Erika to make certain life changes. After all she had been through, Make-A-Wish® wanted to do their part to help keep a smile on Erika’s face. Erika told them that her wish was to meet her favorite sports team, the LA Lakers.

The trip started with a shopping excursion, where Erika and her family were able to buy team apparel. All decked out in their new Lakers gear, Erika and her family were greeted with a surprise limo to take them from their hotel to the Staples Center, for the Lakers game. Arriving with time to spare, the family members were given a tour of the Staples Center and even had time to stop by the team store, where Erika got a basketball and Lakers bag.

The family watched the team practice from the player’s seats. As the players left the court they signed Erika’s new basketball and took pictures with their number one fan. At the start of the game, Erika and her little sister were given the special honor of being part of the “High Five Team,” cheering on their favorite players as they entered the court.

Erika received the experience of a lifetime when she was able to spend time after the game with one of her favorite athletes, Kobe Bryant. Erika asked her favorite player different questions, took pictures with him and even had him sign her new gear. The family was so appreciative for all Make-A-Wish and the Lakers had done for them. Although the Lakers may not have won the game that night, Erika left with a smile on her face knowing her own victory that day gave her memories to last a lifetime.